David Rush was charged with theft of public funds after investigators found about $2 million worth of gold bars and luxury watches at his home, NBC News reported.
WASHINGTON — A former CIA officer is accused of hiding more than $40 million worth of gold bars in his home, along with about $2 million in U.S. currency and dozens of luxury watches. According to NBC News.
David Rush is charged with theft of public funds in the Eastern District of Virginia, according to court documents. NBC News said his attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
From November to March, Rush made requests for funds, including foreign currency and millions of dollars in gold bullion. Investigators found some of the funds in a storage room near his office. Federal agents later searched Rush’s home on May 18 and seized about 300 gold bars, currency and 35 luxury watches, according to an FBI affidavit.
The affidavit did not say which agency Rush was employed by, but two people familiar with Rush’s work history told NBC News he was employed by the CIA.
Asked about Rush, a CIA spokesman told NBC News in a joint statement with the FBI that the FBI arrested an individual following a referral from the agency.
“After an internal CIA investigation uncovered potential violations, CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the FBI for law enforcement investigation,” the written statement said. “The FBI is working closely with our partners at the CIA and Department of Justice to continue to fully investigate this matter. We are committed to pursuing the facts, ensuring accountability, and pursuing justice under the law.”
Court documents also allege Rush, who held a management position, lied about his education and employment background. He applied to the CIA three times, claiming multiple times that he was a graduate of Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and had undergone aircraft testing at the U.S. Naval Pilot School. Other times, he said he was a thesis advisor at the Air Force Institute of Technology and a Navy pilot.
According to the charges, none of this is true.
